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Crete, sometimes spelled Krete (Greek Κρήτη / Kriti) is the largest of the Greek islands and the fifth largest in the Mediterranean Sea. It is the Greek island closest to North Africa.
Tourist attractions in Crete include archeological sites at Knossos, Phaistos, Gortys and many other places, the Venetian castle in Rethimno, the Samaria Gorge and many other minor gorges (Agia Irini, Aradena, etc).
Crete was the location of Minoan civilization (ca. 3000–1400 BC) one of the first civilizations in Europe.
Satellite image of Crete ( NASA)
Crete has an area of 8,300 square kilometres and a population of over 500,000. It consists of four prefectures: Chania, Rethimno, Heraklion and Lasithi. It has three significant airports, Nikos Kazantzakis at Heraklion, military airport Daskalogiannis at Chania and the new Public Airport (will open not before mid 2005) in SitiaSitia is a port town in the far east of Crete. With 9,075 inhabitants ( 1999), it is the smallest city on eastern Crete. The town is the economic center of the Lasithi region. European route E75, which ends in Vardo, starts in Sitia. An international airp. Among its principal cities are Heraklion (Iraklion), Chania, Rethimno, IerapetraLat: 35:01N, Lon: 25:44E Ierapetra (in the local dialect "Gerapetro") is a town and municipality on the south coast of the Greek island of Crete, in the prefecture of Lasithi. It is the southernmost town of Europe. From the harbor ferries leave for Chriss, Agios NikolaosAgios Nikolaos is a port town on the Greek island of Crete. It is located in the east of the island, east of its capital Heraklion, north of the town of Ierapetra and west of the town of Sitia, on the Mediterranean Sea. In the year 2000 the town had about, SitiaSitia is a port town in the far east of Crete. With 9,075 inhabitants ( 1999), it is the smallest city on eastern Crete. The town is the economic center of the Lasithi region. European route E75, which ends in Vardo, starts in Sitia. An international airp.
Crete stretches some 245 km from east to west, but only a maximum of 56 km north to south. Settlements are mainly along the coast, and the inner parts of the island are dominated by mountainous terrain, divided into three massifs, the White Mountains in the western part, Mount Ida in the center of the island, and Mount Dikte in the eastern part.